Reality > Sociality: MY JOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

I started out in social media marketing on Instagram about 2 years ago. I saw all the beautiful models advertising the newest Triangl bikini and wanted to do the same. I started taking high-quality, visually appealing photos over the next few months and my followers and likes count grew steadily. I began getting deals with really great brands and making a little bit on money here and there. I also started working with some amazing and creative people! Unfortunately, I sort of lost myself along the way.I began losing myself in the pictures, lacking substance and authenticity. I could feel myself obsessing over likes, followers, and brand deals. This is not me, my family could see it, and even though I was in deep, I could too. Finally, thank God and the amazing and supportive people in my life, I decided to turn it around and be more authentic, honest, and substantial online.

I took about a month-long hiatus from my Instagram page and took some time to seriously reconsider my online presence. I knew that I wanted to be authentic, unique, and I knew that I wanted to make a real career for myself online.

I sat down one night and wrote down this list, of all of the things that are important to me:

FaithFamily & FriendsAdventureTravelCreativity

And from there, I wrote down a plan of how things were going to go from now on. I first unfollowed any and all accounts that tempted me to go back to my old ways of inauthenticity, materialism, and overall fakeness. This has really helped me to not feel like I need to have the newest and hottest material goods (i.e. clothes, products, etc.) or look a certain way or try to seem perfect online. I am not bashing on any accounts that do promote this lifestyle and image, I am just saying that I knew that it wasn't me.

I then took a long, hard look at myself and the kind of person I wanted to be - kind, open, humble, honest - and I set goals for my page and my posts. Since, I have created content that I am so very proud of and that I know will set a good example of authenticity and joy.

It is, by no means, exactly where I want it to be, but It is getting there! I hope you enjoyed my little rant.

I will leave you with some small tidbits that have really helped me recognize my own value as a woman over the last month or so:

Social Media is FAR from real, it is honestly anything but.

People on Social Media have bad days and good days.

A lot of what you see on Instagram is fake - promotions, body shapes, skin complexion etc. People fake and edit themselves way too much, I am guilty of it in the past.

DO NOT compare your life, body, possessions, etc. to others on Instagram, like I said above it is not real and some of it is even lies.

Post what makes you happy, not what you think will give you the most feedback, and BE YOURSELF!

Thanks for reading! If you made it this far, I am very impressed! Maggiexoxo